Until the Day I Die
by Dark- Cherry Angel
Summary: She never really cared for Scorpius Malfoy and he never cared for her either. They both did what they did, on their own separate paths so they neither hated nor liked each other. They were indifferent...until now...
1. Chapter 1

The ambiguous or not so ambiguous title...**Until the Day I Die**

**Summary: She never really cared for Scorpius Malfoy and he never cared for her either. They both did what they did, on their own separate paths so they neither hated nor liked each other. They were indifferent...until now...**

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**Chapter one**

The noise was deafening. It was a mixture between chanting and the excited chatter of those looking forward to the second Quidditch game of the season. People were gobbling down large amounts of food for fear of another day length match where spectators were too afraid to leave their seats to use the bathroom or get something from the kitchens. Suffice it to say, the Great Hall was almost in an uproar and that uproar increased tenfold when the teams marched in for breakfast.

Rose cringed at all the noise and rubbed at her forehead tiredly, she sat at the Gryffindor table to avoid her fellow Ravenclaws who would, no doubt, wish her luck and a pat of the shoulder. Even though she couldn't prevent any of that just by sitting at that particular table, she would be surrounded by her family and they were more comfort than any stranger.

She was hugged from behind, the smell of flowers that accompanied her younger cousin everywhere was overwhelming but Rose welcomed it with open arms. "Excited Rosie?" Lily sat down beside her, all smiles and began pouring them both a goblet of chilled pumpkin juice.

Rose wiped her mouth with a napkin and shrugged; "I'm not looking forward to going against the Slytherins but I know once I'm on the field…" she smiled and shrugged again, forking another bit of bacon and eggs into her mouth. There was a great flurry of movement down the isle and soon the table shook with the force of Albus Potter landing right in front of her on the opposite bench.

"You slept in again," Lily said accusingly, jabbing him with the end of her fork.

"So what?" he said coolly, "gonna tell Mum and Dad?" He began piling up his plate with bacon and toast, forgoing the eggs for his favourite food. Rose chuckled and picked up a forgotten Daily Prophet, she thanked another couple of Ravenclaws for their wishes of 'goodluck' and began flipping through the first couple of pages. "You don't seem the least bit nervous," Albus said through a mouthful of bacon.

"I'm nervous on the inside," she replied and watched as Louis, Dominique, James and the rest of the Weasley and Potter clan arrived. She sighed and listened to the onslaught of pregame gibberish that sprouted from their mouths, Louis shrugged. He was the only other Weasley that was in Ravenclaw and joining in the day's match.

They both played chasers, both being extraordinarily fast and good at sweeping in between players with the quaffle. She was a sixth year who had been on the team for approximately two years and he was captain and in his N.E.W.T.S year, proclaiming the title of Head Boy too. Soon it was just her and he as they walked towards the Quidditch Pitch going over last minute details with the rest of the team trailing behind.

They could see the opponent team just entering their locker room and she caught a glimpse of the few Slytherins that were in her year level. Darius Nott and Scorpius Malfoy shouldered their brooms and followed the rest of their team through the doors. Scorpius turned back just before entering and glanced in her direction as if sensing her. She smiled slightly at him and replied to the other chaser who wanted to know the changed strategies again.

"Ok guys, the Slytherins are a formidable team this year. They've recruited that Nott guy after Chamberly graduated last year and I heard he's the meanest beater out there, terrible aim and what not so let's stay clear of him ok?" There was a murmur of agreement before he continued again, "so guys," he looked directly towards Nick Boot and Lorcan Scamander, "try and get him down quickly."

"Aye, aye!"

"I'd rather eat my Mum's pudding than let get any of you." Nick looked at Lorcan incredulously, "she's a horrible cook." Lorcan explained nonchalantly as he swung his beater's bat, "she tends to find random plants on her walks and then brings them home to grow in the garden. She tries to determine their properties by feeding them to us. It's horrible."

"Anyway…" Louis said, turning his wary gaze from Lorcan to the rest of the team, "Scorpius Malfoy is one of the best seekers in this age, Elaine keep an eye out for the snitch. The sooner you get it the better I suppose but we'll try and buy you time." The horn sounded and his handsome face took on a determined look, "let's strive for the win!"

Rose cheered with the rest of her team and clutched onto her brand new broom, shivering with excitement. Her adrenaline was pumping now, like it always did before a match. She was always indifferent when she entered the Great Hall, trying to block out the other students for her own sanity. She knew that if she listened to them ranting she'd get nervous, now however she stood with the rest, a large smile on her face as she swept her goggles over her eyes and pulled on her gloves. She readied herself on her broom and flew out into the cold morning, doing a lap around the pitch and waving at her cousins and brother in the stands.

"**The Ravenclaw team seem pumped up about this match guys, just look at them without a care in the world! Louis Weasley at the front followed by his co-chasers Rose Weasley and Terry Adams, Lorcan Scamander, crazy as ever with his beater brother Nick Boot and Carline and Elaine Smith in the rear! The prettiest girl I have ever seen and Rosie you too!"** Lyam Jordan smiled innocently at the Headmistress, his smile reaching his ears as he scooted further from the stern lady. **"The quaffle has been launched – and it's Louis who snatches it right under Pucey's nose! He doesn't seem happy about that! Look at the Slytherins' go in a blaze of green and silver, trailing after the other Weasley now in arrow formation. Seems like they're trying to trap her with beaters Nott and Hatchet! Is that the new Firebolt she's riding? Now guys let me inform you on the special features of that beauty…"**

Rose dived and reformed with Terry on her tail; she dropped the ball and swerved to the left. Louis was a bit further up and soon he was with the quaffle, swerving through chasers and beaters trying to get towards the Slytherin hoops. She watched with bated breath, lying low on her broom to get in close in case he needed to pass. The quaffle flew through the hoop and Davis; their goalkeeper thumped the air in frustration. She smiled and slapped her cousin's hand as he flew by. "Nice flying couz'!" She called out after him and reformed with Terry behind Louis. Slytherin had the quaffle.

She was speeding through the air, chasing after the quaffle for the umpteenth time. She came to a halt when a body floated in front of her path, she snarled at Scorpius Malfoy, "move it Malfoy!" she twirled around him, her long auburn hair catching in her face.

"Not a chance, you're gaining on them Weasley, I can't allow that." He grunted with the exertion of catching up to her, his broom a lesser model than hers.

"It's not your job! Go find the snitch!" She lost track of him and sighed with relief. She urged her broom forward and shrieked when he appeared in front of her again, this time she couldn't exactly stop and instead steered to the right. He followed suit and it soon became a game of cat and mouse and she was getting more irritated by the second. "What happens if the snitch comes?" She growled, he was right on her tail.

"I'll deal with that when the situation arises." He replied and she cursed.

Louis raced by her and threw her the quaffle oblivious to Malfoy's guard on her. She caught it and steered upwards, flipping upside down and holding onto the broom with only her knees. She gritted her teeth from the pain it placed on her thighs and searched for Terry anxiously.

"**Oh the strength that girl must have in those legs to cling onto a broom like that! Wouldn't want to get in a leg lock with her any day! To those who don't know…"** Lyam began giving a descriptive analysis on leg-locks from Muggle wrestling but stopped midsentence when he took in the current quidditch status. **"And that's a bludger from Nott heading towards Weasley! Doesn't seem she's aware of it hanging upside down like that, the blood must be rushing to her head. That damn Malfoy…she's trapped now. The Slytherin Chasers are coming in fast and it's a race against the clock with Louis and Adam on their tails! Oh and it's the bludger! That did not look good at all folks! She's let go of her broom and is plummeting to the ground…no…that ain't good at all…Rose!" **Lyam stood with the rest of the spectators to watch the sixth year gaining on the sand beneath.

The air was knocked out of her upon impact. A million thoughts coursed through her mind, many of which were swear words she'd heard her father use. The pain was excruciating and the air was cold and sharp against her back as she continued to fall. She grappled for something upon reflex, knowing nothing would appear within her grasp and she shut her eyes waiting for the ground to swallow her up. She felt blood forming in her mouth due to the bludger to the stomach and couldn't help the choking or strangled cries that escaped her throat.

Suddenly someone had latched onto her upper arm and was hoisting her up on their broomstick but it didn't stop the plummeting feeling. The broom was now going to crash with both of them on it. She opened her eyes to see who had rescued her and only caught a glimpse of grey eyes and a grim, determined expression before her back hit the ground and she went tumbling through the sand. She swallowed mouthfuls and struggled to sit up, spitting blood coloured sand before feeling woozy and collapsing on the ground.

She managed to catch a glimpse of Scorpius Malfoy crashing into the ground not too far away and then her view being blocked by a group of people. Louis and Terry's faces swam before her eyes and she uttered a simple question, "who won?" She could distantly hear some cheering that indicated someone caught the snitch.

"Sleep now Miss Weasley," Professor Longbottom's voice was but a distant memory and she felt her eyelids get heavy and soon her world was engulfed by bright colours of green, silver and gold.

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So I thought I'd write a story, which I haven't done for a long while and I know this chapter is rather short and I'm terribly sorry but...it was getting late and I have to study for exams :D. But I promise, I will proofread later chapters and they will be 100% better! As for this story concept...don't even ask. It'll be interesting as I continue, I have no idea where I'm going with this but whatevah, I'll make it awesome ok!

So comment on improvements or ideas you might have. I don't mind.

Dark-Cherry.


	2. Chapter 2

**Until the Day I Die**

**Summary: She never really cared for Scorpius Malfoy and he never cared for her either. They both did what they did, on their own separate paths so they neither hated nor liked each other. They were indifferent...until now...**

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**Chapter two  
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She knew where she was immediately, in the Hospital Wing. The beds were always more comfortable and the pillows soft and there would always be this lingering smell of flowers and the gentle breeze from the ever opened windows. She could hear the rustling of parchment to her right and opened one blue eye gently to regard the person. The pain that seemed to rush through her body at that very moment was immense and she curled up on her side bringing her knees to her body gasping for breath.

"Oh shit Rosie," Hugo put down the Daily Prophet and crawled onto the bed to take a look at his sister's face. He winced, her face was screwed up tight and there were tears rolling down her cheek to hit the pillows. He grasped her shoulder with his large hand and turned her over onto her back, grabbing her hand and whispering softly.

"H-Hugo?" She whispered, not even bothering to sit up like she knew her mind was urging her to do.

Hugo smiled and patted her hair down, "yer Rose I'm here. Can't say much about the others though," he grumbled, "they didn't believe me when I said you'd wake up at approximately 9 o'clock in the morning."

Rose tried her best to smile, "you talk to much," she uttered, taking a ragged breath and clutching onto his hand tightly. Hugo turned away and huffed but she tugged him back around to face her, "isn't there anything for the pain?"

"Not really, they've got you repairing some organs and a couple of ribs. Pomfrey said it'd be a painful process and you'd be stuck in here for another two days, organs take longer than cartilage or bone."

"Says the Mediwizard wannabe."

"Sorry for already picking a career that interests me."

"Heh, you spend way too much time interacting with Teddy. You're going to turn into him one day. Your hair is gonna go blue and your eyes pink, and you're gonna marry a semi-French blonde and have beautiful lil' babies."

"Will not!"

"Will too!"

The door at the end of the room opened and Madam Pomfrey poked her head in, her eyes brightened as she noticed Rose was awake and she bustled forward with a tray laden with vials and a plate of breakfast. "I thought I heard you two arguing, you're both truly like your parents dears." She set the tray on the bedside table and quickly handed Rose a vial of a brightly coloured potion.

Without much complaint she gulped the potion in one shot and shuddered from the sour taste, she took the other vial and swallowed that liquid too and immediately she felt better. Her joints became lose and she relaxed into the comfort of the pillows. "Thankyou," she smiled and stretched, hearing various bones crack and wincing slightly from the pain she had now become accustomed to.

The aging witch who had spent the better years of her life treating the ailments of students smiled warmly, "no worries dear, you'll be in here another two days unless I have something to say about it. That was a nasty fall Miss Weasley and you all wonder why I don't go and watch the matches, I'd nearly have a heart attack from viewing all the injuries I'd have to cure." She patted the blankets down and helped Rose into a sitting position. She forced her brother into vowing to make her eat and then left in a hurry to prepare the next trays for the other few patients that were lying about.

She ate slowly as her head pounded with every movement her mouth made. After swallowing an inconspicuous amount of food she said, "so…was I the only injured person?" She took another spoonful as nonchalantly as possible but her brother easily figured her out.

Hugo stared over the top of the newspaper unimpressed, "Malfoy is on the other side of the room, he woke up a little bit before you but fell asleep again. He didn't suffer as bad as you, at least not any broken bones or the sort, just a little concussion.

Of course it was his faults you're in this position, if you didn't resort to hanging upside down like a monkey you would have seen that bludger. And Dad wonders why I don't play quidditch, I value my stomach thankyou very much, I mean with Nan's cooking and Mum's…'"

"You eat too much, look you're getting a lil belly," she swung her fork around to emphasise her brother's absent belly and then frowned, "I suppose that's good he wasn't really hurt though. I should have to thank him once he awakens."

"I thought you weren't too fond of him."

Rose looked incredulously at her younger sibling and moved her tray to the side, "who told you that rubbish? From some of the conversations we've had involving schoolwork he can be a little insufferable but other than that he's alright, like any other student really."

"Really? He seems the insufferable, highly annoying type."

"Well I wouldn't really know but he seems pleasant enough, I mean despite his despicable friends but really, Al seems to get along with him fine and Dominique and Rox haven't complained either. He can't be what the rumors or his family name claims him to be."

"Are you fond of him?" Hugo teased, a brown curl falling ungracefully into his eyes.

Rose spluttered, "no! I barely know him…plus…you know who I like…"

"What makes you think _I_ know?"

"Please," she scoffed, "I know you read my diary."

Hugo smiled innocently and resumed reading the newspaper, talking over the other students who had awoken, "I wrote to Mum and Dad last night," ignoring his sister's groan his continued, "Mum was quite anxious and I had to talk to her in the floo to confirm that you were ok. She's sending Dad in soon, she wishes she could come but you know she's busy."

"So she should be at work! I can't believe how long it takes to establish Half-blood rights now and she's still working on Elfin Welfare." The sixteen year old had inherited her mother's sense of justice and huffed audibly, crossing her arms over her chest and beginning a long winded rant that her little brother had mostly tuned out.

Over the half hour that was her rant her cousins appeared and were all trying to get in bits and pieces into the conversation. Louis who looked awfully pale and sickly was blaming himself for her fall whilst Fred and Roxanne were telling her how spectacular the fall was and that they even managed to magically photograph it with Molly's camera. Lily was trying to persuade Rose to accept Terry's affections for her and how much he had suffered over the night, sick with worry and Albus was away by Scorpius' bed with Dominique.

Of the hour that her cousins had stayed by her side Rose had learnt two, very important things. The first being that Ravenclaw won the match, considering the Slytherin seeker was trying to save her life and the second being she had a Potions practical assignment to finish by tomorrow…even if she wasn't allowed to go to classes. She turned a deep shade of red that clashed horribly with her hair and bit her lip to keep from panicking.

Once all her cousins were gone and only Albus remained she turned her full attention to him, "what am I going to do?! Professor Vane won't accept quidditch as an excuse."

"Don't ask me, she hates me. My Dad rejected her in his sixth year." Albus picked a chocolate frog out of the large pile on her bedside and opened it; he threw the chocolate frog card in the pile that had accumulated while the other Weasleys were there. Once again he got his father. "Listen I don't know, you've done the report and the calculations, if I handed those in I'm sure it'd be enough. She can't _not_ accept your excuse. You're incapable of doing the assignment which means by default you don't have to do any more than you can't handle. Obviously you can't go brewing a potion in here. I'll ask Aubrey to get your report and I'll give it to her. Pomfrey will sign a homework completion form."

"I don't like not doing my homework."

"I know," he patted her head which greatly annoyed her and got up, "anyway, I'll visit around dinner, I'm meeting up with Hayden Zabini for lunch." He ran a hand through his dark brown hair and his green eyes brightened visibly from where the Weasley lay in bed. "Get better please, breakfast is really rather boring without you being in a comical mood."

Rose smiled wryly, "thanks, now go away."

She was left alone for a good twenty minutes upon which she completed the first of three crossword puzzles in the Daily Prophet before there was a groan from the opposite side of the room and she spied Scorpius Malfoy squirm under the blankets. It was well passed twelve and half the students that had stayed over night were gone. She watched as the blonde sat up, his arm heavily bandaged and wrapped in a sling. He looked around in confusion before noticing where he was and shrugging, settling back into the comfort of his bed.

Rose caught his gaze and they stared at each other for a while before either of them said anything. "You look well," he said awkwardly, scratching at his bandaged arm.

"Really? My cousins seemed to be having fun making shapes out of my various bruises," Rose smiled and shrugged, "you look well though, only your arm it seems."

Scorpius frowned, scratching anxiously at his arm, "I'm sorry Weasley. It was my fault you fell."

"Heh, I suppose you're not as proud as the others claimed you to be if you're apologising to me" His eyes flashed dangerously and he turned away from her slightly, "I didn't mean anything by it and it wasn't truly your fault. I should have been paying more attention to the bludger." She wondered why he was slightly upset by what she had said but he merely nodded his head as if to confirm that he heard her and had thus began picking at the pile of lollies on his bedside.

"It was a ploy to stop you from making any more goals." He replied after a while, "I wasn't expecting you to fall to your death, although Nott should have been smarter than hitting a bludger at someone hanging upside down."

She didn't like the indifference that laced his voice and scowled, "its quidditch, you're supposed to go to any measures to prevent the other team from scoring."

"Can you just accept my apology please," his glowered at her and pulled up his shirt, prodding his stomach with his free hand. He winced and bit the head off a chocolate frog rather viciously. She had a hard time drawing her eyes away from his toned stomach and blushed furiously when she realised what she was doing.

"Not if you don't accept the fact that it wasn't your fault."

"Weasley…"

"Malfoy…"

"You're as stubborn as Potter claims you to be."

"And you're as haughty as others claim you to be."

They glared at each other before she smiled in amusement and shrugged, "I accept your apology Malfoy," she rolled her eyes and resumed doing the second crossword in the newspaper. "Now…a vampire is to blood as werewolf is to…"

The next few days passed by calmly with the occasional visits from her family and the daunting visit from her father. She spent a lot of time trying to get to know Scorpius, who answered her questions and managed to ask a few of his own. She learnt that many of the typical stereotypes and rumors that Hogwarts students had compiled over the years of the usual stoic Slytherin seeker were mainly false. Scorpius was quiet and nonchalant, indifferent about many things but quick to fall to anger. He didn't spend much time in the bathroom complimenting his reflection in the mirror but did mention that, that little rumor stemmed from her cousin Albus, when Scorpius had annoyingly pointed out the dark haired boy's narcissism. Rose had laughed at that, she knew how long Albus took in the bathroom from her own experiences but did try to defend him, claiming the boy had very unruly locks.

Overall, she had spent the most of her Hogwarts' years ignoring the blonde and only recognising him from classes and acknowledging that he was, maybe just as smart as she but she didn't see any reason to communicate back then. Of course whenever her father mentioned the name Malfoy with resentment and if she was whooping his arse at school, she'd always answer yes just to quieten him.

She was glad to be back in her dormitory with her clothes and books, freshly showered and her hair drying into neat waves down her back. Once she was out of the Hospital Wing, life returned to normal and Scorpius Malfoy was only but a reminder of her time spent in bed recovering. It didn't truly bother her that didn't really stop and talk, but if they were to see each other in class or in the corridor, they would nod at each other in greeting.

At the moment, she was content…

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That's the second chapter :D hope you enjoyed it. It took two days to write when I should have been studying...so I think I'll go study now...

Remember, review and what not!

Thanks to everyone who did enjoy it and is sticking with it! Thanks for the lovely reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

**Until the Day I Die**

**Summary: She never really cared for Scorpius Malfoy and he never cared for her either. They both did what they did, on their own separate paths so they neither hated nor liked each other. They were indifferent...until now...**

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She sat in Arithmancy poring over a long list of numbers and calculations that she was trying to determine was correct for the problem she was solving. Her quill poked out from her messy curls, of which were falling out it's elastic due to the amount of times she had run her fingers through her locks. There was a large amount of chatter in the classroom as the other students tried to solve their own numerical problems from the sheet of parchment that Professor Vector had handed out.

Rose was to the far right of the classroom, an area where she found the most peace and quiet considering the others preferred to be closer to the door when the bell rang. Sitting nearer the door allowed for easier access out of the classroom but she figured there was no point considering the traffic that would wind up appearing as there would occasionally be a door jam. Peeves found great humour in annoying the sixth year Arithmancy class by placing a suit of armour before the door, or jamming the lock with something.

Her finger trailed the line of numbers with an accusatory eye and she circled possible mistakes, which seemed to become to a total of five. She sighed again and then began working on correcting her calculations, one mistake at a time. Her problem was to translate a bunch of numbers based on their rune translations and then translate those to English, to explain why things happened in threes.

This class was the one class that she was having trouble in. But Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence Against the Dark arts she excelled in, including Ancient Runes. She always had an issue with numbers, ever since Primary School. She hated maths. Why she chose to do a class she knew she'd hate was solely due to her mother's expectations and her own. She was good at everything, might as well try and be good at Arithmancy was the thought that occurred through her head.

She hardly even noticed it when someone sat down beside her and was startled when she broke out of her reverie and minor fuming at the unsolvable problem to notice Scorpius Malfoy staring at her. He was waiting for her patiently and simply staring at her with his head on his hand and his elbow on her text book. "Hullo Weasley," he greeted, his tone of voice indifferent with the unmistakable drawl that always laced his words.

"Malfoy you should've said something!" she hissed with a hand to her heart. She frowned, leaned back against the wall she sat beside and removed the quill from behind her ear to redo her hair in a hasty plait. "What pleasure do I owe this slight intrusion?"

Scorpius smirked and relaxed in his chair, "we haven't had a proper conversation since our time in the Hospital Wing Weasley, what's happened? Began fearing me like the rest of the Hogwarts community?" he leaned forward as if to scare her into responding but instead she leaned forward too. He was compelled into shock, he wasn't expecting her face to be mere inches from his but he clamed himself down and replaced the shock with his casual indifference. He wondered what her reply would be but he could hardly pay attention as he counted her freckles and wondered where the vague smell of strawberries came from.

Rose took a deep, steady breath and closed her eyes as she replied, "no." As soon as she was close she was gone again and back to her position of leaning against the wall. She smiled and picked up her work, scanning it and beginning to complete her assay on the number three.

No she didn't fear him and she did in fact realise they hadn't talked to each other in a little over a month but who could blame them. The Professors were coming down on them hard as there was only half a year left of school before they were to become N.E.W.T.S students. The only time they saw each other were during classes or in the library and both times they'd be buried up to their ears in schoolwork.

"Did you finally figure it out then?" Scorpius asked, scanning the parchment she soon placed down after finally completing her problem.

"Yes, I made a complete mistake in step one and obviously that stuffed up everything else. I had to go back and redo it all." She scratched her back with the blunt end of her wand and sighed in relief. "It was the last problem too; at least I won't have any Arithmancy homework." She smiled and shoved Scorpius' arm off her book to close it. He grunted and handed her the parchment, "so are you doing anything for the Hogsmeade weekend this Saturday?"

Scorpius shook his head slowly and groaned, "no," he muttered, his blonde hair falling into his eyes, " I've got to stay back to tutor a bunch of third years in Defence."

He looked slightly put out which troubled Rose, "well if it makes you feel any better I'm not going either, thanks to the stupidity of my _cousin_ he got me in detention. I've got to help Professor Longbottom in the Greenhouses." She watched him blanch and giggled, "yer I know…detention with Professor Longbottom is the worst…"

"It wasn't that I reacted to, you getting a detention? That's something I haven't heard of. What could possibly get the proper Miss Weasley into detention?"

"Hey! I get detentions! ...Most of which aren't exactly my fault…" she murmured, "…but I get them. What with my Dad as my father and Albus as the brother of James, I'm bound to get a few."

"What'd you do?"

"I turned Albus' hair pink in Transfiguration."

"Oh I was wondering why he wore he bag over his head when I walked with him back to the dungeons. I just thought better than asking him," he wore an expression of amusement and turned to her, his smirk once again returning. She was beginning to get sick of seeing that smirk, purely because if she ever tried to pull off his kind of teasing, _I-know-something-you-don't_ smirk she'd look utterly ridiculous. "Isn't it _your_ fault for that detention and not your cousin's, _you_ turned his hair pink."

"He provoked me. Half the stuff that get's me into detention is all based around his stupidity like I said."

The bell rang and they grabbed their materials, making a beeline for the crowd around the door. They fell into a companionable silence both watching with a kind of odd fascination as Peeves continued to wreck havoc. Rose listened to Scorpius chuckle and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His facial features seemed to light up as he laughed and his usual brooding eyes were sparkling with mirth. He seemed to notice her staring and smiled causing her to smile in return albeit the heat of wave that overcame her out of embarrassment.

Once they made it outside in the now bustling corridor they bid farewell and Rose watched Scorpius' retreating back as he went back to the Slytherin common room. She turned and followed the rest of her Arithmancy class, which mainly consisted of Ravenclaws to their appropriate common room on the fifth floor. Once she was in the dormitory she dumped her bag on the floor which landed with a loud _thump_ and sighed when she kicked off her shoes. Running her fingers through her hair she managed to untangle a few knots that were bothering her throughout the day and carefully picked up a letter she received from her correspondence in France.

The door opened and she looked up from the envelope and the blue, metallic wax stamp. Fayth Aviarage entered and kicked off her shoes with a large amount of cussing. The blond haired girl was oblivious to Rose and had begun rummaging through her trunk; her eyes were red and puffy. Rose immediately knew what was wrong for the usual loud but cheery girl. "Did something happen with Nicholas Smith again?" she asked quietly but cautiously. She knew the girl could get into quite the mood and start attacking her with blunt and sometimes painful insults.

Fayth, who had been one of Rose's friends since their first trip on the train together looked up, her bottom lip shaking as she tried to hold in tears. "How come I like a guy who is such a prat?"

"I wonder that myself sometimes Faye," Rose replied simply, as she sat with her hands in her lap and looked patiently at her long-time friend.

Fayth giggled and swept one of her blonde curls behind her ear, "he'd never go for me, he's always going for the younger girls and taking them behind tapestries to snog. One day, just for _once_ I want him to just focus on me and just hear him call _me _beautiful and to kiss _me_ like he does the others." Her face crumpled and a tear slid down her cheek, "it's selfish but he's a good guy, I know he is. It's not that he's handsome or charming but, his mother died you know…"

Rose was startled by this piece of news but she didn't let it show on her face. "…I'm the only one that knows, Mother told me and…he was never like this." Fayth sighed and shrugged, "he's a good guy and he didn't deserve what happened to him." She began crying, her head on her knees as she slid down beside her trunk, "but you know what's ironic, he _knows_ Iknow and he had the decency to look at me like I was the ugliest thing on Earth-"

"-which you're not obviously," Rose supplied.

"_Obviously_ and he told me to get the fuck lost. That killed me. It really did."

Rose sighed and ran her fingers through her friend's curls, "I've told you many times to give up on him. I don't know how love works, I've never been in love before but I assume he might come back and apologise. If you two were as close as you once were, I don't doubt he'd hold you in his high regard."

Fayth looked up and smiled, running the backs of her hands against her cheeks to wipe away the tears. She accepted the tissue Rose held out and stood defiantly, "you're right, he's apologised in the past I don't see a reason for him not to now…even if we're just friends." She gave a small, heart wrenching smile and began unloading her bag of its heavy books and notes.

Rose bounced back onto her bed as they fell into a semi-awkward, semi-comfortable silence. She reached for the envelope again and tore the seal with her nail. Her eyes scanned the eighteen inch letter with a keen eye and her lips quirked into a smile the more she read. Her heart fluttered when she read the part about his family visiting during their holiday break for a week on the utmost importance in relation to the family business on exporting cauldrons. In truth she had only met Casper once before when her Uncle Percy bought him and his family for a drop in at the Burrow. She thought him somewhat handsome and his wit had her laughing for the few hours they had stayed. They had been in touch for a number of years now and writing to him always filled her with comforting warmth.

When she realised that Fayth was waiting for her to go down to dinner she had put the letter away in her bedside table and glanced in the mirror at her appearance, she fixed her hair and pulled her knee high socks up when they began falling. With a smile she left the dormitory, talking excitedly about the latest news from France. Fayth seemed just as excited and was giggling about all the possibilities during the Easter break in the coming month.

Scorpius watched Albus Potter fixed his hair for the umpteenth time that hour and sighed in annoyance. "You know if your little girlfriend actually cared about looks she would have dumped you for me." He drawled, crossing his arms against his chest and leaning his head back against the headboard. "You bore me Potter."

"Shut it Malfoy!"

"You know, for someone who hasn't really had a girlfriend you're one to talk Scorp," Darius Nott pulled the towel from around his neck and dried his hair with it. His light, brown hair was soon fluffy and spiky on his head, and turned even spikier as he rubbed some gel into it.

Scorpius looked indignant and threw Darius a dark look as Albus snickered from his place on the opposite side of the room, "need I explain that half the girls you go out with Darius are girls that I reject."

The shorter boy winced and pulled on his shirt, foregoing the tie and putting on his shoes. "Whatever, Runes took it out of me this morning; I'm heading off to dinner."

Scorpius glanced at Albus who was still fussing with his hair in the mirror and jumped off the bed, "me too actually." He shoved his wand in his back pocket and walked quietly down the dark, depressing dungeon that led away from the boy's dormitories. As he appeared in the common room someone latched onto his arm and he got a whiff of the familiar flowery scent that followed Selena Douglas everywhere. He sighed but didn't bother retrieving his arm from her steely grip.

Selena, all smiles and fake laughter turned towards him after bidding her friends' goodbye, "Scorpius, I was just waiting for you."

"Hello Selena," he replied politely.

"You'll join me for dinner won't you?" she let go of his arm and began fiddling with the ends of her long, brown hair.

He glanced at her; it was hard to deny someone he had known since he was a child and one who was especially a neighbour. Yet it was due to both these things he could deny her, he could see passed her apparent beauty and he had known that no amount of denying her would ruin their friendship, even if she had a long standing crush on him.

"I'm sorry Selena but no."

She pouted and shrugged, "I won't stop you know, not until you say yes at least once." She smiled, her blue eyes lighting up as she brushed down his shoulders of imaginary dust.

"I know and who knows, one day I might."

"I live for that day." She kissed him on the cheek and bade him farewell as she returned to the common room to join her friends.

Darius replaced her position to his right and walked quietly beside him. "Never gives up does she?" he sympathised with Scorpius, the sixteen year old had been complaining about Selena's efforts for quite some time.

"I plan on moving out of my parent's house once I finish school, you know, to get away from her." He was troubled by the prospect, he didn't want to hurt a close friend but it was the only solution he had. Even at the manor Selena would drop by for tea or lunch and ask him, in front of his parents, if he would join her in Diagon Alley for an ice cream. Naturally he couldn't deny her, not in front of his parents.

"Seems like a plan." Darius mulled over it, "I was planning on doing the same thing, only because Mum drives me crazy with her rubbish and the Ministry raids are getting tiresome."

"Don't they always." Scorpius smiled slightly and shrugged, "won't stop the Ministry though, we're third class generation and they still won't forget our family's past mistakes. They'll continue to raid our houses for a long time at least."

Darius grunted in reply and made a beeline through the bustling students towards the Slytherin table. Scorpius paused and chanced a glance at the Ravenclaw table where Rose Weasley sat among her friends laughing at something that must have been funny because he had never seen her look or act like that. He smiled and turned away, joining Darius at the table with their friends.

* * *

**Ok...so i've had this chapter ready for a week now and just decided to proofread it because I don't want to go to bed now even though I'm going to because I have a cold. :( Pretty sucky luck too considering it's my boyfriend's birthday this weekend and I'm going to be going through a tissue box like mad. But now that I'm on a three month holiday and Uni doesn't start until Feb I suppose I have a lot of writing ahead of me...not like I mind but hopefully I get to do some fun things like go somewhere...fun. Needa job...che, oh well. **

**Promise I'll update soon. **

**Dark-Cherry**


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